


The Broken Bridge

by RAAMIsABeast



Series: One Shot Collection [38]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Demons, Dystopia, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, POV First Person, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-16
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-19 21:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20663897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RAAMIsABeast/pseuds/RAAMIsABeast
Summary: And now the Earth was scorched, leaving the beasts with a perfect temperature to roam and take and claim. Smart humans submitted to their new Masters, and rebellious ones hid underground.





	The Broken Bridge

The war had ended years ago. Humanity had lost the third time round, as Angels reeled from the destruction of their Holy Fountain and were unable to offer their hand or help.

The spark this time had been a small little thing, a child, half Human, half beast, crying out for the dead human mother beside it. Killed by traders, she was. Traders of the exotic kind. Its cries were heard by the beast that sired it, but the traders had already moved on with their exotic prize.

Turned out most humans didn't know they were obsessively and aggressively obliged to protect their young at all costs, and no amount of gunshots stopped the beast from taking back its child and escaping.

Even time immortal beasts had their limits, however. And the child was given to a caretaker in the mountains.

But the death of that beast was the fatal error.

And now the Earth was scorched, leaving the beasts with a perfect temperature to roam and take and claim. Smart humans submitted to their new Masters, and rebellious ones hid underground.

And I? Well. I was left alone. Beasts had no quarrel with me. I had no quarrel with them. I merely wandered with my companion, sticking close to cool waters and humid patches of dying trees.

You're probably wondering what I mean by beasts, no? Perhaps I should stop calling them that, especially considering my companion. Demons. The beasts were Demons.

And my companion was a Cambion, the spawn of that high ranking Demon and his human mate. High ranking, by blood, anyway. I believe his Sire was one of the three Second Dominants, but I have no definate evidence.

"I hear fishes."

The Cambion purred, holding my hand tighter. He liked fish. I stroked the back of his hand.

"If we find some worms, we can have fish for evening again."

"Yay!"

We came to a bridge a few hours later, me wading through waist high water to cool down and my companion chasing a strange fire coloured butterfly along the bank. He loved the heat just fine, even though he was more human than Demon.

"It's hot!"

I turned to look at him as he exclaimed in happiness, and the butterfly had landed on his hand. It was quite a large butterfly too, maybe about the size of a saucer for a teacup. Maybe bigger.

It then took off, flying up and away into the blazing sun.

"Come. It's getting really hot for me."

That was when I saw the bridge, and the broken length of the top. It offered more than enough shade, but it could be hot to the touch. Hmm. We reached it, and to my surprise the stone was rather cool right by the base of the end pillar. The stone foundation of the end pillar was half exposed, and the bridge above it hadn't collapsed or been blown away, which was probably why it was so cool.

"I hope there's fishes here."

"There is. I felt them touching my legs as I walked in the water."

"You didn't scare them away, did you?"

"Nah."

I took off my pants and left them in the sun while I unpacked and set up a simplistic cloth hanger to let them dry upon. Pants sorted, I unpacked my foldable fishing rod and set it up.

"Look at how big this one is!"

My companion ran over to me, holding a fat earth worm. You'd think the loss of a lot of the plant life would reduce their size, not increase it. Interesting. He found a couple more, and small ones too, so I hooked one of the smaller ones to the hook and let the bait sit in the water.

"Uncle?"

"Hm?"

"Will it be cold tonight?"

"Unfortunately."

He sighed, pulling out a thick pelt and setting it out, ready to dive under it when he got too cold. A second pelt was put on it, my pelt. Not as thick, as the coolness was pleasant for me.

We sat by the edge of the foundation, watching the sun fire light and UV radiation at the desertlike Earth. But days were shorter now, which was good.

"Are we still going south, to the forests that Demon told us about?"

"Yep. They're the best place for us both, trust me."

"Us?"

He hoped, and I nearly sighed. Was I going to stay with him? Probably. As much as a grizzled man like me hated to admit it, I was attached.

"Yes. Us."

"Yay!"

I was promptly attacked with happy forehead kisses and cuddles, and I didn't have the heart to stop him until he had tired himself out.

"Rest, Pyruvic. Rest."

"Yes, Uncle."

He curled up with the big pelt and watched me fish. No bites tonight. We would be going hungry, as neither of us fancied worms.

As the sun set, flashing at us when it dipped low enough to kiss the horizon, I laid down next to Pyruvic and allowed him to snuggle with me and more pelts.

I couldn't tell who fell asleep first.

***

Morning came with a sadistic slap in the face from the sun's bright rays, and I groaned, rolling to show the sun my back. Pyruvic wasn't next to me, I soon found out, feeling next to me for his signature heat. Already awake?

Rubbing my eyes, I blearily stared around the area with some sleep still stabbing into my sensitive eyeball.

"Pyruvic?"

I called, and looked up when he answered. Oh? He must be exploring the top of the bridge. Might as well do so as well. Perhaps there's some cars still there we could find someone useful in. A compass woukd be great, as my sun navigation skills weren't the best.

Pants right where I left them hanging, I rolled the pelts up before pulling them on. Cold from the night air, and I couldn't stop a reflexive shudder. Even felt the prickling sensation of goosebumps.

Socks and shoes were forgotten for now, left by my bag. I jumped to the shore, only a small leap, and then walked to the stairs I hadn't noticed yesterday. Along side around a quarter of the stairs, a stone wall covered the supports. Back in the day, it must have protected the supports from the elements. Each step was made of metal, and cold to my bare soles, and rusted. One step was twisted and bent up, and I wisely avoided that one altogether.

Each step creaked, but more from lack of use than any want to break, and I reached the top with little incident.

Pyruvic was crouched by the edge of the first break. His little horns poked out his mop head, and blew in the morning wind.

"Watch that edge, please."

"I will do, Uncle!"

He giggled, and I came over to look down. Right over the water.

"Let's go exploring."

The child grabbed my hand and dragged me along, and I chuckled. One last glance at the hole and I noticed one could see the exposed foundation we had slept on last night. A coincidence, no doubt.

At the next break, one that stretched from edge to edge, I noticed claw marks in the stone. Probably a passing Demon. Nothing to worry about.

"That's not... A human is it, Uncle?"

"What?"

Pyruvic was nervous, his golden eyes focused on something across the broken section... I glanced up and froze. That... That was a human... and oh no. She was missing her legs and an arm. _Bitten off._

Blood dripped down the edge. This was fresh!

"U-Uncle...?"

He was scared now, clinging to my hand.

"Uncle!"

I snapped out of my tension, snapping my head to look at him.

"Let's go..."

A deep chuckle from across the bridge had me pushing the child ahead of me, not daring to look back. We reached the metal stairs and I prayed he wouldn't stand on the twisted step. He missed it, but I didn't. Pain shot from my impaled foot up my leg and I cried out.

"Uncle?!"

"Keep going!"

I yanked my foot off the metal, near jumping down the last few steps in my haste to get down them. The sound of bone being torn from a blood slick body cracked the tense silence in two, giving way to a deathly still silence instead.

I had no quarrel with Demons, but i was no fool to stay near one that was angered, feeding or had a freshly killed human within reach. Where had it even been? I'd seen no signs of it living here... other than the few claw marks.

I grabbed Pyruvics wrist and dragged him under the stairs, behind the crumbling wall that would have been covering the supports. Covering his mouth with a hand, I leant my back against the wall, biting my shirt to muffle my own gasping breaths.

Had it chased us? Was it going to chase us? Or had it merely been disturbed from its meal from our exploring?

Where had it gone while we were up there?

The topmost step creaked with more force than when we had ran down them. Something eith a lot of weight was coming down them.

"Don't hide little humans. I only want to taste your sweet flesh."

I shuddered, hoping Pyruvic didn't whimper.

Another step creaked. It was a big Demon... compared to me and Pyruvic anyway.

"I can smell your blood in the air."

My companion shuddered too, grasping at my shirt.

"And your _fear."_

A pause as it sniffed deeper, the action audible like the exhale of a horse.

"Cambion? How interesting."

More creaks. Don't look down, don't look down...

The Demon was at the bottom now, stalking right behind me, claws tapping on the wall. But it walked past us without glancing in. Thank God.

Not a big Demon, by Demon standards, but not small either. Seemed to be about 8 or 9 ft tall, which was average. Light red skin, thick black horns and golden hair. No tail nor wings. Very scarred. Old Demon? Would explain the horn thickness.

"Come out."

It growled, head tilted to listen. We stayed quiet... and it walked away. Phew.

Pyruvic looked up at me when it was out of sight. Was that it? Were we safe?

"Uncle..."

He whispered.

"Are we safe?..."

"Let's move away for a little."

I murmured back, squeezing his hand. Limping out from behind the wall, I didn't see the Demon on the other side until claws latched onto my shoulder and I was slammed face first into the wall.

Pyruvic's scream was cut off with a choked gasp for air, and I could only imagine how the Demon had shut him up. There was a second one?! How? Where?

The first Demon came over, and the one pinning me snarled in their native tongue. I knew enough to pick out "blind" and "walked past them".

One was blind? And more demure in their reply. Not the dominant one of the pair. What if these were part of a larger group?...

After a contrasting back and forth, the Demon dragged me away from the wall and let me go long enough to readjust their grip and throw me over their shoulder. Pyruvic whimpered, caught by the wrist now.

"Let's go, little things, before I decide I'm going to eat you."


End file.
